Turbot Fish in Tomato Sauce (Breaded Fish Recipe)

Turbot is a flat, white-fleshed, delicately flavored fish. To avoid overpowering the mild fish, I breaded and pan-fried it to create a crispy outer layer, and then placed the fish on a bed of simple tomato sauce.

I garnished the top with Castelvetrano green olives, which added a mild, lightly salted, briny taste. The fish was both flaky and meaty in texture and full of flavor.

Kumquat Olive Relish Recipe

Mustard and ketchup don't have to be the only condiments on your table. You can make your own that are, dare I say, unique and more flavorful. For example, whenever I serve grilled chicken breasts, tuna or even grilled tofu, I like to enhance the usual bland dish with a flavorful relish. I recently served the relish with Gouda cheese  and crackers. The two pair wonderfully. 

I recently used kumquat marmalade from last winter and mixed it with large, meaty and slightly sweet olives. In addition to imparting a citrus flavor, this olive relish also adds a pleasant texture to the food. Best of all, it can be prepared way in advance.

Olive Mashed Potatoes

I came up with the idea of making olive-flavored mashed potatoes (purée de pomme de terre aux olives) while strolling through Parisian open-air markets. Most of them carry the most delicious varieties of olives that are not overly salty. After tasting many varieties, I bought delicious bright green olives that are large, meaty and slightly sweet with a nutty taste to the palate.

Parisian kitchens in general are tiny and contain the bare minimum when it comes to cooking. I mashed the potatoes using the back of a fork, pitted and coarsely chopped the olives and finally mixed them into the purée, adding a little crème fleurette (cream). My husband Lulu loved it and was totally impressed that I was able to pull it off in our tiny kitchen!

Besides visiting museums and monuments in Paris with Lulu, I have to admit that perusing the Parisian open-air markets was my favorite activity! Tasting and seeing the wonderful colors and produce gave me so many ideas and inspirations for new flavor pairings. I’ll be sharing them soon.

Caramelized Fuyu Persimmons

Wild Rice and Orzo Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This dish is really three recipes in one. I combined my wild rice, kidney bean salad and orzo pasta salad recipes together to make a light and healthy meal. The maple vinaigrette helps tie everything together.

I usually make orzo pasta salad for parties and picnics, but we've been having a heat wave here and we all felt like eating something cool. The addition of kidney beans for protein and wild rice for fiber makes the dish more of a complete meal. If you have some leftover roast chicken, you can dice or shred it and add it to the salad as well.